Streit um Auftanken: Japan widerruft südkoreanischen Jets den Zugang zum Luftwaffenstützpunkt wegen Streit um die Dokdo-Inseln

Tokyo has rescinded a plan to allow South Korean military jets to refuel at a base in Okinawa after learning the aircraft had recently flown near the Dokdo islets – rocky outcrops off the Korean peninsula’s east coast that are administered by South Korea but have been claimed by Tokyo since the end of World War II.

The refuelling stop would have marked the first time South Korean military aircraft had used a Japanese base and was intended as a gesture of growing defence cooperation, according to a report by the Yomiuri newspaper on Monday.

The news of South Korea’s military manoeuvres near the disputed islets has provoked anger in Japan, with some online users accusing Seoul of being deliberately provocative over an issue that is sensitive for both sides, while others praised Takaichi for being decisive in her response.

“The Takaichi administration is on solid ground,” one widely shared comment read. “The airspace around Takeshima was violated, and they wanted to use Naha as a gas station for South Korea’s participation in the Middle East Air Show, which has no benefit to Japan.”

Another post added: “We need to ensure that Takeshima, the name Sea of Japan and the Rising Sun Flag are all correctly recognised without any distortion.”

Stephen Nagy, a professor of international relations at Tokyo’s International Christian University, said the backlash reflected deeper unresolved tensions, as well as the challenges of insulating forward-looking diplomacy from domestic pressure.